Radiator core



I F. M. OPITZ.

RADIATOR CORE.

PLICATIbN FILED OCT. 31, 1919.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

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F. M. OPITZ.

RADIATOR CORE. APPLICATION FILEYD OCT. 31. I919.

1,404, 1 60. Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FRED M. OPITZ, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

RADIATOR GORE.

Application filed October 31, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Finn) M. Orirz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Radiator Cores, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to radiator cores and the method of making the same.

The preferred form of my invention involves a tubular water channel with an integral cellular front. Because of this I have designated it as the cellutubular type of construction.

A principal. object of my invention is to provide such a radiator wherein the water conducting sections may be constructed of very thin. sheet metal, presenting a maximum cooling surface to the air-currents passing and which sections when assembled into a radiator make a strong, sturdy structure, employing a minimum of metal in its construction, and which may be economically manufactured and which will give a minimum of trouble in service.

It has been found in practice that considerable difficulty has been experienced with the radiators of the prior art when used in very cold weather since, if the water freezes, the containing tubular sections are not sufficiently flexible to take up the expansion in volume due to the conversion of the water from a fluid to the solid form of ice, and therefore, these tubes have been caused to rupture and the radiators have been subsequently caused to leak; it is another object of my invention, therefore, to provide a tubularcore having suflicient elasticity inits walls, so thatthe danger of rupture due to the freezing of the contained water will be practically eliminated. 7

It is a further object of my invention to provide an improved. sheet metal radiator core having integrally formed fins and airtiues which may conduct heat, from the radiator water containing core, to the air coming in contact with and passing through the radiator. By this construction I do not require outer plates for the radiator which present flue openings to the'air currents which pass through the radiator, as these are supplied by extensions of the sheet metal tubular core sections, forming pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 17, 1 .922.

Serial No, 334,756.

jecting fins on the said core sections. By virtue of this integral construction, the conduction of heat from the water to the fins, and thence. to the air currents, is made more elficient.

Another object of my invention is to provide a process of manufacture for the making of my improved radiator cores, by virtue of which the said cores are produced using a minimum of metal, and in which the core walls are of the same thickness as the original metal sheet, and possess the above mentioned and other advantages which will later be made apparent from the description of my invention which follows, andin which description reference will be made to the following figures in which like reference characters will be used to designate like parts.

The radiator f my present invention is particularly adapted for use on pleasure cars where a pleasing appearance is a high] y desirable asset. 1 form the radiator with a cellular front'to give the desired appearance, but form the water channels of vertical tubes. In other words the radiator is a combination of cellular front and tubular water channels and from this fact I have given it the name of cellutubular.

In order to form the radiator in this manner I have conceived the construction of collularly formed radiating fins on the front edges of the sheets of metal which are employed to make the tubes. tis a fact that the length of metal required to form the hexagonal or cellularedges or fins is greater than that required to form the tubes back of the fins. I have conceived that this surplus of metal may be taken up in the form of lateral pockets along the sides of the tubes, these pockets serving tocool the water in the tubes both by the extended and increased contact of the water and metal and by the increased radiating surface for air, but also by breaking up the water in the tubes into small portions. 1 close these pockets at front and rear by stamping or crimping together the edges of the pockets. It would be less desirable to stamp the pockets into a closed fold forming a in both because of the increased strain upon the metal and the consequent danger of breakage, but also because the rigidity f the tubes would thereby be greatly decreased. This stampin of the pockets fiat to form folds or solid disposing of the surplus metal caused by the offsetting of the edges to form the cellular front, but the improved results which I attain by my preferred construction makes the additional operations desirable.

ln thus leaving open pockets with closed edges I find that I must dispose of the surplus of metal which remains between the closed edges of the pockets for less length of metal is required to form. the open. pocket portion than the closed edge portion. This I accomplish by forming a bulge or buckle between pockets, this bulge or buckle being in effect a further corrugation of the side walls of the metal tubes to dispose of the surplus metal and at the same time put it to good use. To form the water channel an offset or trough is formed in each shell but this requires merely a simultaneous off-setting or bending of the metal and presents no particular difficulty.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular folding operation which I have illustrated for as above explained this may be varied and any preferred manner of taking up the surplus along the side of the tube falls within the scope of my invention.

Referring now to the figures Figure 1 shows a front elevation-of a set of radiator sections embodying my invention;

Figure 2 shows a plan View of illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows an isometric view of one of the sheet metal units, a pair of which are required to complete one core section, the method by which the sheet metal is disposed in forming the various portions being herein clearly exposed;

Figure 4 shows a horizontal cross-section of the 'adiator core sections illustrated in Figure 1. This sectional view being taken on the line .l;4: of Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows a vertical cross-section of the radiator, this sectional view being taken on a line 5-5 of Figure l;

Figure (3 shows a horizontal section of the radiator taken on a line 66 of Figure 1 Figure 7 shows an isometric view of a slotted sheet metal blank, from which the core-section unit of Figure?) is formed;

Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the fact that a certain length of metal is required to form the cellular ofiset portion;

Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the disposition oi a length of metal equal to that required for the cellular offset portion in making the closed edge or seam of the pocket; and

Figures 10 and 11' are diagrams illustrating the disposition of the metal in the side walls of the tube so that the same length of metal is taken up by the tube portion as is required for the'loops which term the cel' lular front.

the sections In the construction of my improved radiator cores, I employ a suitable strip of thin sheet metal and begin the operation by first slitting the strip as illustrated in Figure 7, prior to or substantially simultaneously with the forming operations to be deor other figures in somewhat extended form V as shown in Figure 8. At the same time the metal is creased across the central part 20 which later forms the trough part was shown in Figure 3.

'lhe shallow creases 21 take up substantially as much length of metal at this stage as the shallow hexagon fin portion. In order to form the water channel it is necessary tr bend the metal along the lines 23 and 2a. The portion between the lines 23 and 24 forms the front face or end wall of that part of the tube. The portion between the line 2i and the lines of the slits 8 and 9 forms the seam or margin portion along which the two halves of a tube are joined and along which the edge seams 19 for the water p ekets are also formed.

This operation of forming the trough. or

water channel is preferably performed siinultaneously with the folding or forming operation which produces the pockets l0 and the bulges or buckles 11.

The formation of the hexagonal integral fins into final form requires that the metal along the central portion 20 be further con tracted. T his I accomplish by the next operation which snnultaneously brings theends of the hexagonal depressions closer together and closes the creases 21 closer together to form the pockets 1.0. Also preferably at the same time the edges of the pockets 10 are closed to form the seams 19 in the ends 12 of the pockets 10 and as this operation of closing the ends 12 requires that further metal be taken up in the central portion 20, I form the bulges or buckles 11 which are in reality shallow pockets or corrugations, on the sides of the water channel. There is a very sl ght distortion of the metal at the *"2 ends of the bulges 11 but this is merely incidental. Otherwise the operations of fold-- various folding operations are preferably carried out at substantially the same time, being accomplished by the action of suitably constructed dies between which the blank or strip illustrated in Figure 7 is placed, the operation being accomplished substantially without stretching of the metal at any point, the operation being merely a folding operation so that the metal is maintained substantially at its original thickness at all points. The crimps 12, wherein portions of the metal are folded together at the ends of the pockets 10 serve as stiffening ribs to hold the intermediate portionof the core securely in place with respect to the end portions 13, and also serve as integrally formed fins to effectively conduct heat from the water contained in the core, to the air-current passing through the radiator, which convey the heat away.

. Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 illustrate the manner of disposing of the same length of metal in the three parts of each sheet. Figure 8 shows how the facing hexagonal fin portions are formed by offsetting the slitted edges. Figure 9 shows how the same length of metal is shortened to the same degree by forming the seam or fold at substantially right angles to the sheet. Figures 10 and 11 show how the same length of metal is taken up by the open pockets 10 and the bulges or bucklesrll. It is to be noted that the flattened fold 12 occurs along the metal forming the joining flange wall 18 at the edge of the trough- Thus the seam 19 of the flattened fold 12 and the seam between contacting fianges 18 extend inwardly the same extent and can be closed by a single dipping operation. The dipping operation will also join the contacting portions C which extend out as integral parts from the sheet between the slitted portions forming the ornamental or facing fins 18.

The corrugated extensions 13, which are formed oneit her side of each core unit, when two of these units are placed together to form a core section, as will be later more specifically described, serve, first, to supply rigidity to the self-supporting core, second to provideair-fiuesthrough which aircurrents may pass to come into contact with the water containing walls of the core section, third, serve as heatconducting fins j net as do the fins 12 as above related, in order to conduct heatfrom the water and finally and what is more important, to give a pleasing appearance tothe front of the radiator.

Referring now to Figure 4: showing an end elevational view of a portion of my improved radiator, comprising three sections or tubes, A, B and C, all thesections being alike, composed of two sheet metal units, such as illustrated in Figure 3, these units are placed together so that the elevated flange shoulders 14; come into contact as illustrated in thecross-sectional views of Figures at and 6. hen so placed together, complete tubes are formed, which are placed in the radiator side by side.

When av plurality of tubes are placed together in this way, the sides 15 of the ornamental fins of adjacent sections, are brought into contact to form cellular airflues such as 16 between the core sections, in addition to the cellular air-fines as 17 of-the different individual core sections. The dif ferent air-fines when viewed from either edge present a honeycomb appearance, being hexagonal in cross-section. Any other desired figure might be formed instead as a square, octagon, etc.

The corrugations 11 project in line with a portion of these last described air-fines 16, these corrugations being formed as previously explained to take up the excess metal which appears when the edges of the pockets 10 are closed. The corrugations or crimps 12, which are the front edges of the pockets 10, appear in views 1 and 5, in line with the center of the air-fines such as 17. An assembly of'radiator core sections such as is illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive may now be sealed, as for instance, dip ping the edges of the assembled sections into melted solder, while the dif erent sections are being tightly held in intimate contact. The immersion will include all of that portion of the units comprising and carried on. the flange or shoulder portions 0 and the edge portion 18.

After the soldering operation, the unit assembly of radiator core sections may be placed in the supporting frame of a radiator which frame is not herein allustrated, such being well understood in the art to which this invention relates; when the assembly of core sections is to be placed into the radiator frame, two water chambers are secured to the assembly, one at the top D, and the other at the bottom E, so that water may flow from the upper chamber placed above the surface D, through re stricted water conveying core sections A, B, and C, which have water passages F opening into the upper water chamber at G and into the lower water chamber H. It will be understood that the ornamental this need not be formed on both edges but may appear on one edge only.

Having thus described my invention, as embodied in the radiator cores and method of making the same as herein specifically set forth, I wish it to be understood that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the said embodiment herein illustrated and described, but what I claim as my invention, is defined in the following claims.

I claim: 1. In a radiator tube, a pair of complementary halves, each half having a gutter portion for forming a straight water passage between them, said gutter portions hav ing lateral offsets therein and having integral loops along the front edge thereof, said int gral loops matching to form cellu lar figures, said loops being integral With the front edge of the joining margin of the gutter.

2. In a radiator, a tube formed of complementary halves, said tube havinga straight cater passage from end to end, each half comprisin a central channel portion having lateral corrugations and integral laterally deflected loops formed on an edge of said central channel portion, said lateral corrugations and said loops constituting substantially equal lengths of metal.

3. In a sheet metal radiator tube, a pair of complementary parts comprising each a central channel, having side walls and end walls, and joining margins along'each edge, said side walls having corrugations forming open pockets, the edges of the pockets co-extensively with the joining margins being stamped together to close the edges of the pockets and integral loops formed in front of said pockets, said loops taking up substantially the same length of metal as is required for said pockets.

4. In a sheet metal radiator tube, a pair of complementary parts comprising each a central channel, having side walls and end walls, and joining margins alongeach edge, said side walls having corrugations forming open pockets, the edges of the pockets coextensively with the joining margins being stamped together to close the edges of the pockets, and loops formed on the edge of one of said margins, said loops having in tegral ends joining the marginsbetwjeen said pockets. 1 j

In a sheet metal tube, a part comprising a gutter portion, a straight joining margin, and ornamental radiating loops integral with the edge of the joining margin, said loops being offset laterally to form parts of a cellular pattern, said loops having their edges facing in the same direction as the joining margin.

6. In a sheet metal tube having a straight water passage, a part comprising a gutter portion, a joining margin, and ornamental radiating loops integral with the edge of the joining margin, said loops being offset laterally to form parts of the cellular pattern, and corrugations formed in the sides of a gutter portion and joining margin.

7. In a radiator, a plurality of vertical tubes having straight water passages hav ing cellular loops formed on the front edges of the tubes, said loops forming a regular cellular pattern and serving as the spacing means between adjacent tubes, said loops having their edges facing in the same direction as the front edges of the tubes.

8. In a radiator, a series of vertical tubes having straight passageways for water, said tubes being formed of complementaryhalves stamped of sheet metal, each of said halves having laterally extending loops matching and contacting back and forth with each other to form a regular cellular pattern, said loops being formed integrally with the front edges of the metal of the halves of the tubes.

9. in a radiator, a series of tubes made of sheet metal, said tubes being made in halves and being joined at front and rear by joining margins, and ornamental fins or loops integral with the edges of said joining margins, said fins or loops being laterally offset and brought into contact with each other back to back to form a regular closed cellular pattern and to space the tubes apart.

10. In a radiator, a series of single sheets forming a complete cellular pattern, said sheets being provided with lateral corrugations forming between their backscomplete water surrounded air cells back of the cellular pattern, said corrugations forming radiating fins lying in line with the openings of the cellular pattern. 7

11. In a radiator, a series of identical single sheets having integral laterally deflected portions forming a facinghaving a closed cellular pattern, said sheets being provided with lateral corrugations back of the facing constituting a series of water backed and air cooled cells.

12. in a radiator, a series of straight vertical tubes, said-tubes having integral loops at front and back, aid loops contacting with the loops of adjacent tubes and forming a closed cellular pattern.

13. A radiator consisting solely of water backed sheets forming tubes, said sheets having registering transverse folded corrugations defining a series of air cells between adjacent tubes and means on said sheets for defining a cellular pattern for the face of the radiator, said cellular pattern being of smaller dimensions than the air cells.

14:. A radiator core made of similarly formed sheets only, said sheets defining water tubes between their faces and defining water surrounded air "cells between their backs, said sheets having continuous joining margins at front and rear for forming water tight seams for the tubes and having regularly spaced integral fins, said fins having flat contacting portions registering and contacting with each other to form reenforced connections between adjacent sheets in front loops extending from the seam a distance substantially equal to half the distance between the seams of adjacent tubes said loops of each member contacting back to back with the loops of an adjacent member to space the tubes apart and to form an ornamental front for the radiator.

16. A radiator having tubes provided with straight water passages and being formed of identical sheets in duplicate said sheets having integral loops on each sheet at front and back edges said loops extending laterally and contacting only with the loops of ad jacent sheets.

17. A radiator consisting solely of water backed sheets forming tubes, said sheets having registering transversely folded corrugations defining air cells and means on said sheets for defining a cellular pattern for the face of the radiator, said cellular pattern having openings for the passage of air there through, said openings being of substantially one-half the area of the openings through the air cells, one-half of the openings in the cellular pattern being in register with the openings of the air cells and the other half of said openings in the cellular pattern being out of register with the openings of the air cells whereby the air passing through the cellular pattern is materially broken up in passing through the active element of the radiator.

18. A radiator consisting solely of water backed sheets defining substantially rectangular air cells and means on said sheets for defining a cellular pattern for the face of the radiator, said cellular pattern being substantially hexagonal and of smaller dimensions than the air cells, a portion of the openings in the cellular pattern being out of register with the openings of the air cells.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24 day of October, A. D. 1919. FRED M. OPITZ. 

